I’ve managed to climb out of the RootsMagic underground labs for a quick break and was able to sneak some top-secret documents past the watchful gaze of the RootsMagician. I’m excited to give you an exclusive look at some long-awaited new features coming to RootsMagic 7. (Keep in mind that these features are still under development and may change before they are officially released). So here’s your first look at two of these new integrations with Ancestry.

TreeShare

Our upcoming TreeShare for Ancestry allows you to connect your RootsMagic data with an Ancestry Member Tree.

Once connected, you can quickly find differences and share data between the two trees.

WebHints

RootsMagic 7’s WebHints feature automatically searches for matching records from many providers including FamilySearch, Findmypast, and MyHeritage. And coming soon to this list is Ancestry! Just click on a light bulb next to a person’s name and you’ll see the WebHints screen:

Click on “Ancestry,” and you’ll see a list of matching records from Ancestry’s many collections. This is familiar territory for those who have already used our WebHints.

But this is where the similarities to the other record providers end. Instead of just viewing the records, you can click on information contained in the Ancestry record and copy it into your own RootsMagic file. It can even incorporate images and source citations!

Become a Tester

Currently, these features are being put through their paces by a group of testers. As the features become more polished and stable, we expand the group of testers and repeat the process. If you’re interested in becoming a tester and get early access to these features, you can sign up at here.

Well, it looks like my break is about over and it’s time for me to return to the underground labs. Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed this quick glimpse at these exciting new features coming to RootsMagic 7. Don’t forget to sign up to be a tester and- uh- please don’t tell the RootsMagician where you heard about all this.

Information and Links

Join the fray by commenting, tracking what others have to say, or linking to it from your blog.

Reader Comments

Did you take one of the cookies back downstairs? Looks good,, and I signed up for testing a spell ago

Comment Number:

3

Written by:

Steve Chesney

Posted on:

March 3, 2017 at 5:54 pm

I hope I will be able to logically merge my Rootsmagic file contents with my Ancestry tree contents. I have some research results in one and other research results in the other.

Comment Number:

4

Written by:

Nancy

Posted on:

March 3, 2017 at 8:31 pm

Do I have to merge my two files? I use ancestry for my possibilities, but my Roots magic for my confirmed matches. And can I I corporate Ancestry sources without combining my trees?

Comment Number:

5

Written by:

Robert Funderburk II

Posted on:

March 3, 2017 at 9:02 pm

Thank you for sharing this info! I greatly anticipate getting these new features for RootsMagic 7!

Comment Number:

6

Written by:

Mavis

Posted on:

March 3, 2017 at 9:04 pm

Do you have to be a member of Ancestry to access the hints?

Comment Number:

7

Written by:

Paul Baxter

Posted on:

March 3, 2017 at 9:20 pm

Sounds very impressive, good to know that there is high quality software being developed. I often worry that I’m too reliant on online storage

Comment Number:

8

Written by:

Diane Chacon

Posted on:

March 3, 2017 at 9:46 pm

Looks great! Waiting not so patiently for the release.

Comment Number:

9

Written by:

Sherry Warren

Posted on:

March 3, 2017 at 9:47 pm

Wow! Very exciting news! When will I ever find time to cook, clean and do laundry! LOL

Comment Number:

10

Written by:

Jerry Domier

Posted on:

March 3, 2017 at 10:19 pm

This is a great sneak peak at what’s to come. I’m ready!

Comment Number:

11

Written by:

Hazel

Posted on:

March 4, 2017 at 1:47 am

Sounds great, can’t wait

Comment Number:

12

Written by:

Chip Tobey

Posted on:

March 4, 2017 at 3:12 am

I’ve signed up to be a tester but haven’t gotten the call. I’ve wanted this for a long time as a means to also coordinate family members working together. I’ll keep watching.

Comment Number:

13

Written by:

Virgil M. Kester III

Posted on:

March 4, 2017 at 3:14 am

I wish to thank you so very much for letting have a peek into the works! It is looking great, I can not wait to be able to get the two programs I use the most … separately … to be able to have them work with each other, together!!! The best merge/sync ever heard of! Thank you so much Michael.

Comment Number:

14

Written by:

JACKIE Hughes

Posted on:

March 4, 2017 at 4:28 am

Pleased to see the connection with Ancestry coming about. Any news about the Rootsmagic to go & CD share for mac users.

Comment Number:

15

Written by:

Steve Chesney

Posted on:

March 4, 2017 at 6:03 am

Concerning my post above – I learned I can merge two Rootsmagic files by opening side by side and drag/drop. I guess that’s the answer and not too bad a one.

Comment Number:

16

Written by:

doug

Posted on:

March 4, 2017 at 6:47 am

how’s it going with the ancestry connection? I’m working 4 separate trees and am looking forward to syncing them up.

Comment Number:

17

Written by:

Steve Chesney

Posted on:

March 4, 2017 at 8:54 am

Thank you for posting the screen grabs. Soothing

Comment Number:

18

Written by:

John E Whiteley

Posted on:

March 4, 2017 at 9:13 am

Looking forward to see it on Line. Grant

Comment Number:

19

Written by:

Nannette Bennett

Posted on:

March 4, 2017 at 9:18 am

That is awesome! I am anxious to try it all out!

Comment Number:

20

Written by:

Jim Duvall

Posted on:

March 4, 2017 at 10:01 am

These are the features that I was hoping for. Being able to create new DB and compare differences before actually starting the RootMagic Ancestry SYNC. I am going to sign up for early tester, My database is small to medium (Less than 3000) I have used Ancestry and Family Search for a few years. I came to RootsMagic from Family Tree maker. I will pass my Genealogy Tree down to the next generation from RootsMagic.

Comment Number:

21

Written by:

Alan Rabe

Posted on:

March 4, 2017 at 11:05 am

Thanks for the preview. The feedback is appreciated and only slightly gives me more patience to wait for your update! Looks good.

I am excited to see these new releases appear for us general users and somewhat beginners in the world of Genealogical Research.

They look to be good, common sense features. Well done.

Comment Number:

23

Written by:

Sue

Posted on:

March 4, 2017 at 8:57 pm

Enough of the teasing – let’s get on with the show!
I purposely switched to RM full time for my main proven tree when they said FTM was going away.

Comment Number:

24

Written by:

Anthony W. Belcher

Posted on:

March 4, 2017 at 9:49 pm

It looks great, but I do hope that the dates will be put in order no matter what it is as shown in the tree share window. The Residence dates are in order but then when the Marriage and arrival dates are shown they are out of order with the Resicence dates.
I hope that the ancestry info includes the prefix as it is in the RootsMagic. We’d have a great genealogy program as shown here. I definitely intend to use both programs.

Comment Number:

25

Written by:

Tammy Sumner

Posted on:

March 4, 2017 at 10:42 pm

Thanks for the update!! Liking away the new feature looks so far. I definitely want to be a tester. I have a small tree of about 4000 people, but Ancestry is the primary site that I use. I’d love to be able to give input on this new exciting addition to RM.

[…] one of the most powerful genealogy software programs available for both Mac and Windows, offered a sneak peak at the new Ancestry interface coming ANY MINUTE (she dreams) to […]

Comment Number:

28

Written by:

Bonnie Belza

Posted on:

March 5, 2017 at 4:18 pm

Can testers be MAC users?

Reply: Absolutely!
Renee, RootsMagic

Comment Number:

29

Written by:

Reeves Shaw

Posted on:

March 5, 2017 at 4:18 pm

I’m excited, I’ve been waiting for this for a long time, I am always downloading images and files from ancestry.com into my RootsMagic, so if there might be a quicker or easier way of doing it, I can’t wait. I love RootsMagic, I have been a user since before RM1.

Comment Number:

30

Written by:

Helen Shaver

Posted on:

March 5, 2017 at 5:19 pm

Michael, If I have read your comments correctly, it is possible to do the following:
A marriage town, but no church place, we can just drag and drop from the Ancestry data base line into the Roots Magic data base line. If this is so, I wish it was possible to do this with Family Search. A great job – well done.

Comment Number:

31

Written by:

Marilyn conklin

Posted on:

March 5, 2017 at 8:00 pm

confused – not sure I understand all of this like
A lot of others commenting – been holding off renewing ancestry so that I could sync tree to roots but that seems like won’t happen

Comment Number:

32

Written by:

Margo Allee

Posted on:

March 6, 2017 at 2:27 pm

It looks great!! I can hardly wait.

Comment Number:

33

Written by:

P Borden

Posted on:

March 6, 2017 at 3:50 pm

Exciting news …. I have 4 ancestry trees that I need to sync to my RM tree and with each other. Looking forward to the new features. Should I be a tester?

Comment Number:

34

Written by:

Dan Kile

Posted on:

March 7, 2017 at 5:12 am

I started with Family Origins 2 or 3 and you continually break new ground. Genealogy magazines always rates Roots Magic as a top program. I never understood why so many people buy another program.

Comment Number:

35

Written by:

Karen Martin

Posted on:

March 7, 2017 at 11:18 am

This is very exciting. I love that you keep growing the features in RootsMagic! You’re the best!

Comment Number:

36

Written by:

Bob Burnett

Posted on:

March 7, 2017 at 2:29 pm

THis will elevate RootsMagic from just being a bloody good system to being the best around.

When do you expect to have the full version for sale? I’m holding off buying this until then.

Comment Number:

38

Written by:

sandra paris

Posted on:

March 8, 2017 at 4:08 am

when we sync our rm pc file with a ancestry tree of our own, will our photos and attachments snyc up to ancestry too? Just wondered since otherwise to add a photo you have to add each one individually to the ancestry tree, takes too long after investing all the time to already attach to my pc tree.
thanks for any input

Comment Number:

39

Written by:

Michael Booth

Posted on:

March 8, 2017 at 8:40 am

Yes. Photos and attachments (as well as source citations) will go in both directions.

Comment Number:

40

Written by:

Michael Booth

Posted on:

March 8, 2017 at 8:40 am

When the testing is complete and we’re satisfied that it is ready for general release.

Comment Number:

41

Written by:

Alana Jolley

Posted on:

March 8, 2017 at 9:08 am

So, will this be an automatic upgrade or will it be necessary to purchase a newer version of RootsMagic? Will these new advantages be automatic?

Brilliant stuff Bruce
I’m really looking forward to this – I will sign up in a couple of weeks

Comment Number:

43

Written by:

Brad

Posted on:

March 9, 2017 at 12:18 am

Thanks for the update. Looks great. I’ve signed up to be a tester…

Comment Number:

44

Written by:

RandyC

Posted on:

March 9, 2017 at 9:53 am

I sure hope we will be able to keep ancestry.com turned off.

Comment Number:

45

Written by:

Chris

Posted on:

March 9, 2017 at 10:04 am

Great! I have a love hate relationship with Ancestry.com. Think I will be downloading my tree(s). I don’t want the living and recently departed to be on the web. Hoping if I upload, I can filter out those people like when I create a gedcom with RM.

Comment Number:

46

Written by:

Terry Allen

Posted on:

March 9, 2017 at 11:24 pm

Can’t wait! I signed up to be a tester at Roots Tech.

Comment Number:

47

Written by:

Bob Hanson

Posted on:

March 10, 2017 at 11:46 am

Can’t wait. FTM (new) is so screwed up right now you can only download unsynch’d GEDCOM trees. All but one small tree of mine is now ‘detached’. We need Roots Magic sync to work!! Thanks for taking the time.

I volunteered to help test, too.

Comment Number:

48

Written by:

Karen

Posted on:

March 11, 2017 at 6:47 am

I love the feature of bringing the photo documentation and citations into my RootsMagic program. Another plus will be the ability to compare files from Ancestry with mine…side by side! Thanks so much for working on this. I ALWAYS recommend RootsMagic to anyone starting their family tree.

Comment Number:

49

Written by:

Myrle Astrope

Posted on:

March 11, 2017 at 10:29 am

I am looking forward to your proposed changes that will improve everyone’s ability to improve their record gathering and records.

Comment Number:

50

Written by:

Myrle Astrope

Posted on:

March 11, 2017 at 10:31 am

I am looking forward to your proposed changes that will improve everyone’s ability to improve their record gathering and records.

I think it will be good. I use more than one site to find information.

Comment Number:

52

Written by:

James Carrigan

Posted on:

March 11, 2017 at 4:16 pm

Sound very impressive and working on genealogy all the times I used Ancestry to found some of my family tree so written up papers. so I can’t wait when it come up sooner so can save my time

Comment Number:

53

Written by:

Cathy

Posted on:

March 12, 2017 at 4:06 pm

Are you only using users with large databases as testers? I signed up early on but have separated out my different lines into different databases so all of them are relatively small.

The facility to download the data from Ancestry makes this a fantastic upgrade – The current webhints is frustrating because there is no way to directly utilise the information it reveals and it often duplicates data sources already in my record wasting time.

Reply: We need testers with all sizes of databases.
Renee, RootsMagic

Comment Number:

54

Written by:

Davvey

Posted on:

March 13, 2017 at 1:41 pm

Signed up to offer to be a tester, would be nice to hear back with a yes or no once decision is made, I use RootsMagic with FamilySearch and if the Ancestry link up is as good or better than that system it will make RootsMagic into a very impressive piece of software

Comment Number:

55

Written by:

arlton Bjerkaas

Posted on:

March 13, 2017 at 8:00 pm

This is great. I just got the latest update to FTM (2014.1) And not Roots Magic wont recognize FTM files. Cant wait to go directly to Ancestry Trees.

Reply: RootsMagic’s partnership will Ancestry allowed us to direct import all versions of Family Tree Maker (FTM) up to version 2014. Family Tree Maker 2014.1 is now owned by Software MacKiev. RootsMagic is no longer able to direct import Family Tree Maker 2014.1 (22.0.1.1501) or later versions due to file changes.